Analyzing 4 Least Efficient Contracts on NY Rangers

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (44) awaits a face-off against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Analyzing 4 Least Efficient Contracts on NY Rangers

Originally posted on New York Rangers On SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 14, 2026 4:00 PM ET

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There are several things that New York Rangers fans can have a gripe about when it comes to how team president and general manager Chris Drury has handled roster decisions.

However, if there is one thing that he has done well, it is to keep the salary cap as clean as possible. The team doesn’t have any true anchors holding them back and eating up precious space to spend money elsewhere.

There is some value in being able to sign fair-money deals to avoid any pitfalls. But it also means there are teams around the league who are getting more out of deals that are clear-cut wins. For example, the Rangers have one of the best contracts in the NHL with defenseman Adam Fox, but aren’t doing enough to take advantage of that.

On the other end of the spectrum, New York fans can at least take some solace in there no longer being contracts that are as negative-valued as Fox’s is positive. Alas, there are still a few deals that stand out as being inefficient, as shared by Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic (subscription required).

Rangers fortunate to have no true albatross contracts

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Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, signed to a seven-year deal in free agency last summer worth $7 million annually, has the worst total surplus on the team with -$7.3 million. But even that deal received a “C” grade.

With a positive value percentage of 34.3%, it has arguably the worst contract on the team. Being signed through his age-36 season is certainly viewed as a detriment by the model, but his value could certainly increase.

He is coming off a season with a career-high 35 points, and the depth behind him has improved. Projections should improve with some of the additions made to the blueline behind the No. 1 pairing of Gavrikov and Fox.

One of those additions is Marcus Pettersson, who is also near the bottom of the team’s contract value. His -$1.3 million surplus isn’t a massive negative, earning a “C+” grade, but it is still one of the lowest values on the team.

Joonas Korpisalo trade brought bad contract onto salary cap

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With years of experience playing under current Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, his value could improve as well now that he is in a system he has thrived in previously.

Pettersson was one of two trade acquisitions New York made this offseason that brought a negative contract onto the books. The other is goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins.

It was a head-scratching decision to trade for him, not only trading an asset in a fourth-round pick, but also taking on $3 million in salary. He has a total surplus of -$4.2 million and a positive value percentage of 31.6%. Still, even that deal was a grade of “C”.

The worst grade on the team, with a “C-”, is defenseman Braden Schneider. He agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million settlement to avoid arbitration, and that has a total surplus of -$3.6 million with a positive value percentage of 1.8%, which is also by far the lowest mark on the team.

This article first appeared on New York Rangers On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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